Brazilian president dismisses more spending cuts, cabinet reshuffle

Source:Xinhua Published: 2013-7-29 11:09:00

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff Sunday ruled out more spending cuts or streamlining the 39-member cabinet, saying these measures could not help boost the economy or save money.

"I'm not considering it. I don't think it will cut costs. We have already taken all steps to reduce spending," the president said in an interview with the daily Folha de Sao Paulo.

She said she would not reduce the number of ministries, citing it might dampen the government's efforts to head off social and economic inequality.

Talking on rumors that her predecessor and political mentor Luis Inacio Lula da Silva would try to run again for the nation's top office in 2014, Rousseff refused to give a direct answer.

"Lula and I are inseparable ... Now there's talk about Lula coming back... I don't know if Lula would come back because he never went off, he never left," said Rousseff.

"It doesn't bother me at all," Rousseff said of the rumors. "I am totally mixed up with his government, we were together since June 21, 2005until he left government." Rousseff was Chief of Staff in Lula's government.

Lula, who was president from 2003 to 2010, has repeatedly said that he would not run for the presidency again.

A recent Ibope Institute poll showed that Rousseff's personal popularity slipped by 26 percentage points since anti-government protests broke out in June, dimming her own chances of winning reelection.

Posted in: Americas

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